


Birthday Blues

by drwhogirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26377090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drwhogirl/pseuds/drwhogirl
Summary: Nothing good has ever happened on Neal's birthday.
Kudos: 31





	Birthday Blues

Neal didn’t like birthdays. You’d think they would be right up his street, getting to be the centre of attention for the day, having a big party surrounded by friends. But for Neal, he preferred to think of it as just another day. Nothing good ever happened on his birthday.

Although he didn’t remember it, he knew it all started on his third birthday. That had been the last time his mother had seen his father. The last day of their lives as they knew it before going into Wit Sec. His last day as Neal Bennet before becoming Danny Brooks.

He didn’t remember that birthday but he remembered all the ones after. His mother was always spacy, she was barely there at the best of times. But his birthdays were always the worst. His birthdays were always spent holding her hair back while she threw up, making sure she took her medication and most importantly hiding all the sharp objects.

He hoped it would change when he turned 18. He could join the police academy. He could be just like his dad. But then Ellen took him aside. Told him exactly what being like his dad meant. That was the day that Danny Brooks died, and Neal Caffrey was born.

Mozzie never even knew when Neal’s birthday was. He never asked, neither of them did. Birthdays were almost a taboo subject between the two of them. They never asked about what came before, only worried about the now and the future. Neal wasn’t even sure if they each knew the other’s real age. He wasn’t even sure they knew themselves.

Nobody had birthdays in prison. None that they would admit to. If anyone found out what day you were born, they made that day a living hell. It was one of the only places where everyone seemed to understand. Birthdays weren’t to be celebrated; they were to be feared.

The best birthdays of his life were spent with the White-Collar crimes department. They were normal days, going through paperwork, chasing criminals, even sitting in the van. Nobody asked and nobody cared, just the way he liked it.

* * *

As he watched the sunrise, Neal took a deep breath. He savoured the salted tang in the air as he walked the abandoned beach. It was quiet, nothing like the bustle of the big city he had left behind. He wasn’t sure what the name of the island was, he wasn’t even sure it had a name. He wasn’t planning on staying for long enough for it to matter.

He glanced down at his watch, watching the seconds tick by. 6:08am. Six hours down, eighteen more to go. He felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his phone. It was a text from Mozzie.

Neal put his phone back without even reading it. Mozzie would have some scheme, or plot or ploy. Something that Neal was sure could wait.

Just as he made that decision, his phone started ringing. With a sigh, he picked it up.

“What is it Moz?” Neal asked, making a good show of sounding exasperated.

“It’s good to hear your voice.” Neal froze. He knew that voice anywhere and it definitely wasn’t Mozzie.

“Peter?”

“Yeah, I heard it was someone’s birthday. We wanted to make sure you didn’t spend it alone.” Peter’s voice was loud in his ear. Too loud to just be on the phone. Neal turned, trying to stifle the hope beginning to bloom in his chest.

There, stood further down the beach, was Peter Burke. Neal resisted the temptation to run over and hug him tight. He had a reputation to maintain after all. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

Peter pulled him into a big bear hug and Neal couldn’t help melting into the embrace. “You should have told us Neal.” Peter told him, holding the younger man tightly.

“I know.” Neal wanted to apologise but he swore never to lie to Peter and he couldn’t honestly say he was sorry for what he did. For not telling Peter, maybe, but not for faking his death. “How’s Elizabeth?”

“She’s at the hotel. Made me promise to bring you back when I found you.” Peter explained.

“Better not keep her waiting then.” Neal told him with a grin. Maybe birthdays weren’t such a bad thing after all.


End file.
